Monday Mystery Photograph – Last week Tasmania

Each Monday, I post a mystery photo, or occasionally a mystery object. I do encourage you to leave a comment if you think you might know where this week’s mystery photograph is located, or what it is.

Where is the world is this?

If you guess the location of the above photograph correctly, I will credit you the following week and post a link to your site/blog.

Last week, Tara, Drake, TidiousTed and Mosy and Millie Thom correctly revealed the MMP was in Port Arthur,  Australia, on the island of Tasmania, at a location infamous for its violent criminal offenders and harsh treatment of inmates, in the early days of penal (convict) settlement, in Australia.

Pic of Port Arthur removed but can be re-supplied on request

Convict prisoners, at this seemingly idyllic spot, spent their time doing hard labour in complete silence. The only time they were permitted to speak was in Church on Sundays when they could sing along with the hymns, whilst positioned in high panelled wooden boxes, which prevented them from making eye contact or engaging in any dialogue with other prisoners. Hell on earth, surely.

In modern times, Port Arthur has also been associated with violence and a great tragedy. In 1996, a lone gunman killed 35 people, including children, in cold blood, and injured at least 20 more, using a high powered assault rifle.  In less than a minute, he had killed 15 people in the cafe located on this site. A senseless waste of human life, and untold life-long misery for the families left behind. The gunman, who was judged not to be criminally insane, had the capacity to shoot, kill and maim without warning or provocation. He later stated he deliberately chose Port Arthur for his killing sprees, particularly because of its history as a prison for violent offenders in penal times.

This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Port Arthur Massacre in Tasmania. The photo above dates from a time close to the event. As a result of the massacre, Australia introduced severe restrictions on firearms, and despite Tasmania’s attempt to refuse to comply, Australia now has in place stringent laws governing purchase, ownership and storage of firearms. There have been no further massacres in Australia, since these laws have been introduced.

Something sobering to Ponder About

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